Tuesday, July 4, 2017

UK’s culture ministry rebrands, goes digital | UNLIMITED | CMU

The UK government’s Department For Culture, Media & Sport isn’t the Department For Culture, Media & Sport, and anyone who is saying it is the Department For Culture, Media & Sport really ought to get with the now and stop calling it the Department For Culture, Media & Sport, because it’s clearly the Department For Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

Yes, people, the Department For DIGITAL, Culture, Media & Sport. How modern! Because this digital thing, that’s gaining some momentum now isn’t it? Digital! How digital. You know what I think about digital? It’s digital. And that’s exciting. But not exciting in an old fashioned analogue way, granddad. No, digitally exciting. Digital!

The country’s Secretary Of State For Culture, Media & Sport – sorry, I mean Secretary Of State For Digital, Culture, Media & Sport – Karen Bradley, confirmed that Prime Minister Theresa Mayhem had approved the name change yesterday. Though I’d be wary of that if I was Bradley. Putting digital in the title makes the DDCMS officially in charge of the internet, which probably means Mayhem’s planning on shutting it down.

Said Bradley: “DCMS celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and it is fitting now to include ‘digital’ in the name. The department has taken on significant new responsibilities in recent years, so that half of its policy and delivery work now covers the digital sectors – telecommunications, data protection, internet safety, cyber skills and parts of media and the creative industries”.

She went on: “The traditional core of DCMS remains as important as ever, covering arts, culture, the creative industries, sport, tourism, heritage, gambling, boosted by responsibility for civil society, charities, volunteering and innovative financing to create an inclusive economy. This work makes an essential contribution to driving growth and enriching lives”.

Hmm, with that in mind, shouldn’t it be the Department Of Telecommunications, Data Protection, Internet Safety, Cyber Skills, Media, Arts, Culture, Creative Industries, Sport, Tourism, Heritage, Gambling, Civil Society, Charities, Volunteering & Innovate Financing? We put this question to the DTDPISCSMACCISTHGCSCVIF, but it has not, as yet, responded.

No mention of music in Bradley’s list, you might note. So, musicians, make sure your music is both arty and cultural, just so you get on the government’s radar. Or digital. It can be digital. Yeah, fuck making it arty and cultural, just make it digital.